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0 pointsshafyy4y ago0 comments

Or - and hear me out here - the US could invest in their public transportation infrastructure. But sure, let's do flying taxis.

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5 comments · 1 top-level

saddlerustle4y ago· 4 in thread

Flying taxis is public transportation

fragmede4y ago

Charging $3 for bus riders is controversial within the public transportation sphere, nevermind the $20 a car taxi can cost. Unless there's something about flying taxis that would make them price competitive with a $3 bus trip, it's hardly public transportation.

saddlerustle4y ago

If there were automated and electricity was cheap its easy to imagine them being cost competitive vs a bus trip of the same distance just because they're so much faster. Making them price competitive is just a matter of how much the state is willing to subsidise them.

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awiesenhofer4y ago

No they are not. Taxis aren't public transport either.

This CityAirbus takes what, 4-6 people seated? A bus easily takes 40+, a tram 60+ and a metro 250+* - and that's just seats, they all fit hundreds of people if you include standing passengers.

It would take ages and hundreds/thousands of flying taxis to clear a stadium, while it takes only tens of metro trains.

* Numbers taken from public transport options in my home town, will of course differ around the world

saddlerustle4y ago

Taxis are not mass transit, but they are public transport per the definition.

Obviously this will not be comparable in capacity to a metro, but it can conceivably be comparable in capacity to bus lines which tend to operate at very low load factors in US cities, by virtue of being much faster to complete the same journey.

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5 comments · 1 top-level

saddlerustle4y ago· 4 in thread

Flying taxis is public transportation

fragmede4y ago

Charging $3 for bus riders is controversial within the public transportation sphere, nevermind the $20 a car taxi can cost. Unless there's something about flying taxis that would make them price competitive with a $3 bus trip, it's hardly public transportation.

saddlerustle4y ago

If there were automated and electricity was cheap its easy to imagine them being cost competitive vs a bus trip of the same distance just because they're so much faster. Making them price competitive is just a matter of how much the state is willing to subsidise them.

1 more reply

awiesenhofer4y ago

No they are not. Taxis aren't public transport either.

This CityAirbus takes what, 4-6 people seated? A bus easily takes 40+, a tram 60+ and a metro 250+* - and that's just seats, they all fit hundreds of people if you include standing passengers.

It would take ages and hundreds/thousands of flying taxis to clear a stadium, while it takes only tens of metro trains.

* Numbers taken from public transport options in my home town, will of course differ around the world

saddlerustle4y ago

Taxis are not mass transit, but they are public transport per the definition.

Obviously this will not be comparable in capacity to a metro, but it can conceivably be comparable in capacity to bus lines which tend to operate at very low load factors in US cities, by virtue of being much faster to complete the same journey.

1 more reply

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